Effects of gastrointestinal hormones on the growth of human intestinal epithelial cells in vitro.

Abstract

The growth of cultured epithelium like cells from human normal embryonic intestine was studied in response to various hormones using a method that quantifies the number of cells by the amount of dye that they bind after fixation. Gastrin and neurotensin in the pg/ml range and higher caused small increases in cell growth. Glucagon and VIP were stimulatory in the low ng/ml range, whereas somatostatin and bombesin had no effect at the lower concentrations but were stimulatory at the highest concentration tested (10 and 100 ng/ml respectively). Secretin and pancreozymin (cholecystokinin) seemed to be ineffective.